Our operation

NOFO is a membership organization for operating companies on the Norwegian continental shelf.

Øvelse i Porsanger

OUR MISSION

The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) dedicates itself to one central mission: ensuring our members are equipped with the highest level of oil spill readiness.

Our approach to enhancing oil spill readiness involves pioneering the development and application of innovative technologies. Furthermore, NOFO is responsible for coordinating comprehensive training programs, readiness assessments, and technological advancements for our member companies.

Mission and Goals

At the heart of NOFO's efforts is the commitment to effectively manage and sustain oil spill readiness across the Norwegian continental shelf for our affiliated companies. This commitment extends to managing personnel, equipment, and vessels, ensuring a state of readiness that allows for swift and efficient responses to mitigate environmental impacts from potential oil spills associated with petroleum operations.



As a forefront organization in oil spill response, NOFO is committed to excellence and resilience in our operations. Our primary strategic aim is to ensure that our oil spill preparedness is not only effective but also tailored to the unique requirements and strategies of the operating companies we serve.

Our key goals include

- Providing our members with the highest level of effective and robust oil spill preparedness.
- Continually enhancing our readiness through ongoing technological innovation.

In pursuit of these objectives, we are focused on:
  • Expanding our expertise and capabilities in coastal and shoreline response preparedness.
  • Bolstering environmental protection efforts and preventing oil spills by working closely with Inter-Municipal Committees Against Acute Pollution (IUAs).
  • Fostering productive partnerships with national, local, and private-sector entities involved in oil spill response.

NOFO is dedicated to the continuous protection of our oceans and their ecosystems, ensuring a safer maritime environment for all.

Keeping The Seas Clean 

 

  • Vision and goals

    The operator companies on the NCS have a common strategy for oil spill preparedness thanks to NOFO.

    The main points of the strategy until 2025 are about maintaining and developing effective and robust oil protection, with a focus on both national and international cooperation. The emphasis is also on improving overall oil spill preparedness and the development of NOFO as an organisation.

    NOFO's board of directors formed a working group to develop the strategy. The group has included representatives from the member companies, the board of directors, and the NOFO administration.

  • Organisation Chart

    The Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) shall be a respected, leading, effective and robust oil spill response organisation.

    Our overall strategic goal:

    To ensure that oil spill preparedness is at all times dimensioned in line with the operating companies’ needs/preparedness plans.

    The Professional Forum for Operations (FFO) and Professional Forum for Technological Developments (FFT) will be merged to form a single forum, the mandate for which is under preparation. The working groups are established as a network of contact persons in all the member companies. NOFO performs the secretariat functions and organises the meetings. FFO and FFT are advisory bodies to NOFO’s CEO.

  • Board of Directors

    Hilde Ådland
    Chairman
    Vår Energi

    Steinar Ådland
    Deputy Chairman
    Equinor 

    John Gunnar Vedøy
    board member
    Aker BP 

    Erlend Furu
    board member
    OKEA

    Anne Botne 
    board member
    Neptune 

    Ståle Jensen
    employee representative
    NOFO

  • Annual report

    "After two years of Covid 19-related restrictions to some of our activities, NOFO was back to normal operations early in 2022. New challenges have emerged in view of the tense security situation with war in Europe. It is therefore important to carry out operations as scheduled to ensure the preparedness is intact and that all resources have been drilled and trained as planned.

    NOFO’s strategy for the period 2021-2025 sets the parameters for oil spill preparedness and NOFO’s tasks. Strategy follow-up was somewhat restricted in 2021 because of Covid-19, but close follow-up and focus were resumed in 2022 to ensure the schedule is followed.

    A new organisation structure was implemented in 2022, with an expanded management team and NOFO growing from three to six departments.

    There is a strong focus on cost control, with status reported to the Board of Directors at board meetings.

    NOFO performed satisfactorily in 2022 in terms of the parameters assigned and in line with the Board’s expectations."

    - Hilde Ådland
    Chair, NOFO

    Download the annual report for 2022

  • Contact adresses

    Visiting/delivery address Sandnes:
    Vassbotnen 1
    4313 Sandnes

    Post adress:
    P.O. Box 8077, Forus
    N-4068 Stavanger 

    Phone:                +47 51 56 30 00
    Fax:                +47 51 56 23 98
    Mailing adress:      post@nofo.no


    Invoice adress:
    P.O. Box 8077, Forus
    N-4068 Stavanger or post@nofo.no

    Organization number  
    NO 971 454 075 MVA

    Visiting/delivery address Hammerfest:

    Hammerfest Næringshage 
    Sjøgata 6
    9600 HAMMERFEST

  • Members
    • Aker BP ASA
    • A/S Norske Shell 
    • ConocoPhilips Norge AS
    • DNO Norge AS
    • Equinor Energy AS
    • Harbour Energy AS
    • Neptune Energy Norge AS
    • OKEA ASA
    • OMV Norge AS
    • Pgnig Upstream Norway AS
    • Repsol Norge AS
    • Sval Energi AS 
    • Total E&P Norge AS
    • Vår Energi ASA
    • Wellesley Petroleum AS
    • Wintershall Dea Norge AS
  • NOFO’s expert forum - Professional Forum

    NOFO's Professional Forum serves as a network of designated contact persons within NOFO's member companies. Its primary responsibility is to introduce new ideas, propose enhancements, and offer guidance regarding the specific oil spill response requirements of the operating companies. The Professional Forum functions as an advisory body to NOFO's CEO.

    The network's valuable input plays a crucial role in keeping NOFO's Administration and Management informed about the evolving needs of the members. Leveraging the participants' expertise, this collaborative effort actively contributes to enhancing oil spill response capabilities on the Norwegian continental shelf.

  • International cooperation - Global Response Network

    NOFO actively participates in the Global Response Network (GRN), a global platform facilitating the exchange of information and experiences in operational oil spill preparedness. It's important to note that GRN, while fostering collaboration, does not directly engage as a responder in oil spill situations.

    Within GRN, NOFO holds a representative position in the executive committee. Additionally, our organization contributes relevant staff to the individual Operational Teams (OT).

    Following the Macondo incident in April 2010, multiple Joint Industry Projects (JIP) were initiated to glean insights and identify recommended investment areas. Extensive exploration has taken place in these key areas, and the majority of NOFO members recognize them as vital principles with international significance. This collective effort ensures that lessons learned from incidents are shared globally, contributing to improved oil spill preparedness practices on an international scale.

    GNR's website

     
  • Inter-Municipal Committees against Acute Pollution

    NOFO is part of Norway's well-established national preparedness model, fostering a collaborative alliance between oil spill response resources in both the public and private sectors.

    This distinctive partnership ensures the seamless integration of public- and private-sector preparedness organizations. It is characterized by clear definitions of areas of responsibility and lines of command. The result is a comprehensive and unified approach, guaranteeing that Norway's complete preparedness resources are consistently available, thus enhancing the nation's readiness at all times.

    NOFO’s contracting parties

    NOFO has agreements in place with 21 IUAs from Agder in the south to Øst-Finnmark in the north.

    For queries, please contact Tor Eivind Moss, Senior advisor – shoreline.

  • Oil on Water

    In June each year, NOFO orchestrates the "Oil on Water" (OPV) drill. This annual event serves as a crucial platform for NOFO and the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) to rigorously assess and validate their systems and equipment under conditions closely simulating real-world scenarios with oil presence on the sea.

    The successful execution of these drills not only demonstrates operational excellence but also earns international acclaim, serving as a prestigious benchmark for the exceptional quality upheld by NOFO and the NCA in their preparedness for oil-related incidents.

    Inspiring global preparedness efforts

    Norway is one of the few countries that allows the discharge of oil into the sea to test equipment and procedures. Oil-on-water (OPV) exercises are part of the efforts to verify, maintain, and enhance the national oil spill preparedness in Norway.

    These exercises have garnered immense interest and have led countries such as the USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, and Russia to acquire similar equipment used by NOFO.

    Report from the 2022 OPV drill

    Oil on Water (OoW) 2022 is a collaboration between the Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies (NOFO) and the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA). The verifications were carried out in the period 6–16 June.

    OoV is an extremely valuable activity in order to be able to meet regulatory requirements that equipment used to counteract acute pollution must be tested under realistic conditions in terms of functionality, operativity and collection efficiency.

    The learnings and utility value from this year’s OoW were again substantial for all the parties involved.  As well as this year’s OoW verifications, the collaboration has provided significant learnings related to teamwork and operational understanding, and we consider OoW to be a vital arena for further development of Norway’s oil spill preparedness going forward.

    Download the oil on water report for 2022